Stop Running From Reality
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do you ever get the sense you should be further along in life? You might experience an overwhelming feeling you’ll never reach your destination from where you are now. Allow me to put your mind at ease. You are well placed to follow any path, as long as you set the intention to move forward with resolve. The tension we experience occurs when we disconnect from our true self. This is compounded by an inner voice that’s never satisfied until it gets what it wants. It’s the inner critic, inherited from an early age that dominates our thought landscape.
However meaningful we consider our life might be, there’s always another place we long to be. We’re never satisfied because the ego convinces us happiness is found outside of us. Do you feel that way? That you are unhappy and longing for something more, whether it be a better relationship, improved financial conditions, a better career or more material belongings? Yet, when these things arrive, you are only satisfied temporarily. Soon enough, the excitement vanishes and you go off looking for the next adventure to keep you captivated. I liken it to the scurrying rabbit in the tale Alice in Wonderland who constantly looks at his pocket watch, exclaiming: “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!”
That is, we experience when moving from one destination to another, without taking the time to appreciate our achievements. We’re not inhabiting our life, but running away from experiencing reality. This creates a barren existence because we foolishly pursue a plan without appreciating the intentions behind it. It is as though we are trying to manipulate the future as we imagine it to be. We all know life seldom turns out as planned. There are always detours and obstacles that thwart our well-laid plans. We miss out on vital life lessons when moving from one objective to another without integrating what we’ve learnt. It is only years later we lament the wonderful opportunities that passed us by during the best moments of our life.
Your Past Does Not Equal Your Future
“Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfilment. Therein, he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is unique, as is his specific opportunity to implement it.” — Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
To be present to what is unfolding requires perceiving life in the greater scheme of things. If we label every experience as good or bad, we miss out on the fundamental lessons sewn into our journey. Life is a collection of gifts, which requires incorporating them into our life. To start where you are is to appreciate your current circumstances right now. You needn’t have all the information, nor the financial resources, or the perfect conditions to create a purposeful life. What is required is a commitment to take small strides forward, knowing the path will reveal itself as long as you uphold a purposeful intent. Let’s not fool ourselves; our past does not shape our future any more than last week’s weather foreshadows the weather five years from now.
Our past has brought us to this point in time, given our level of awareness. You are reading this because you value your personal growth, which is a sign of progress. Your life’s journey will undoubtedly include detours, setbacks, challenges, and failures. Welcome to the process of life, my dear friend. Nothing is certain other than the knowledge that you can reach your highest potential. Most people play the game of life backed onto the ropes in a boxing ring, since they believe misleading thoughts of how life should be. This is a recipe for failure because your thoughts about life do not create its reality, but bring misery and discontent.
Soulful Living
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.” — Eleanor Roosevelt
A purposeful life abounds when we live from the level of the soul. Stay with me a moment as we go a deeper into this. Living from the soul level means moving past the sprawling thoughts of how life should be. We ought to develop a deeper sense of our spiritual life, which requires paying attention to our true nature. These are thoughts we gain to help us make sense of our environment, but are no more useful than training wheels on a motorcycle. We must become acquainted with something more, such as the essence of the person you call “I”?
What is the undercurrent that shapes the individual reading this now? What inspires you and gives a sense of joy? These are clues to what your soul values most to live a purposeful life. There is a towering ambition within you bursting to come alive and express itself. You are a source of potential whose capacity is limitless. Should you contemplate these words for the next 30 days, it will transform your life. I know you may not see yourself as I see you. That’s because I see you as a soul, not a person reading the lines on the screen. I see your potential; beyond the thoughts you hold about yourself. If you gazed through the same eyes, you too, would get a glimpse of the infinite possibilities available to you.
To start where you are, be mindful of the components of your life. What you have is the perfect foundation for living a prosperous existence. Get out of your head and move into the expansive ocean of your heart. Tune in to the quiet stillness where hope and clarity reside. The energy and willpower I speak of forms the inspiration needed to move forward. To start where you are, take the first step and trust you will be guided as long as you continue to move forward. Momentum carries with it an expansive energy capable of overcoming struggle and misfortune. Start where you are now and purposefully commit to moving forward with hope and enthusiasm, knowing life is leading you to where you need to be.
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Tony Fahkry
Expert Life Coach
